According to court documents, on January 2, 2026, Daphne Police Department officers responded to a room at the Eastern Shore Motel following a report of domestic violence. When officers arrived, they observed a woman crying and appearing to be in distress. Wooten became combative with officers, prompting one officer to deploy a taser. The taser probes did not incapacitate Wooten, and he pulled the probes from his body with his hands. After a struggle, several officers were able to gain control of Wooten and place him under arrest.
During the arrest, officers recovered a loaded handgun from Wooten’s right pants pocket. Officers also observed marijuana in the motel room. The room was secured while officers obtained a search warrant. A subsequent search revealed marijuana and a used marijuana grinder on the bedside table.
The firearm recovered from Wooten was a Hi-Point Model C9 9-millimeter handgun. The serial number on the bottom of the firearm’s frame, in front of the trigger guard, had been damaged. The surrounding plastic showed signs that someone had attempted to obliterate the serial number, apparently using a file or similar tool. Upon closer examination, agents were able to identify the firearm’s serial number.
Federal law prohibits convicted felons from possessing firearms. At the time he possessed the firearm, Wooten had two prior felony convictions: a conviction for Breaking and Entering a Vehicle in the Circuit Court of Baldwin County, Alabama, arising from conduct on or about June 17, 2025, and a conviction for Robbery in the Third Degree in the Circuit Court of Baldwin County, Alabama, arising from conduct on or about August 29, 2014.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Daphne Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney George F. May prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Homeland Security Task Forces (HSTF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office — Southern District of Alabama — U.S. Department of Justice press release.